Type for type-writing machines.



No. 637,340, atented Nov. 2|, I899.

P F. v. .mmzs & L. c. MYERS.

TYPE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

(Application filed Oct. 19, 1898.)

(No Modei.)

WITNESSES: IN VENTORS 6 M Y {W I gaff Attome '6..A@.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FREDERICK V. JONES AND LEWIS C. MYERS, OF NEW YORK N. Y. ASSIGN-- ORS' TO THE CENTURY MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE FOR TYPEC-WRITINGI MAcHiNEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,340, dated November 21, 1859. Application filed October 19, 1898. Serial No. 694,086. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK V. J ONES, residing at New York, county of New York, and LEWIS C. MYERS, residing at New York, (Brooklym)v county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type for Type-Writing'Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shell-type embossed or struck up in a fiat metal sheet and that shall be suitable for use in type-writing machines of various kinds.

Heretofore the best class of steel type for use in type-writing machines has been produced by first making a matrix and then kneading or forcing into it a small block or piece of metal. The process is relatively difficult and expensive, the type is heavy, and uniformly good results cannot be obtained. In proceeding according to our plan of man ufacture we form a matrix for the letter or figure to be produced in a block of steel,either by engraving the matrix therein or by sinking into the block an engraved steel hub. We then make what we term a force, which is a plunger or male die having formed upon it the same character, but of dimensions smaller than those of the matrix, the difference between the two being equal, or approxi mately equal, to the thickness of the sheet of steel in which the character is to be formed or embossed. The sheet of steel is then placed over the matrix, and the force by one or more operations is caused to drive the sheet of steel into the matrix to completely fill it and produce a type-face in all respects as well de fined and sharp as the lines of the matrix. We have discovered, however, that if the angle of inclination of the walls of the matrix connecting the lowest part,which corresponds with the type-face, and the plane of the face of the block in which the matrix is formed be comparatively acute proper or sufficientlygood results cannot be obtained. Thus if the angle be twenty degrees, twenty-five degrees, or even thirty degrees good results cannot be produced because of the behavior of the sheet metal, which develops hard spots or lumps and does not fill the matrix so completely as to prod uce a sharp and perfect typeface, conforming actually to the lines of the matrix. Moreover, we have found that where the angle is acute, and as acute as above mentioned, type cannot be practically made in the general manner described, for the reason that sufficient strength cannot be given to the engraved part of the forcethat is to say, where the angle is acute the base-line of the engraved letter or figure on the force is small, too small to enable the operation to be practically accomplished. We have demonstrated that by increasing this angle to about fortyfive degrees, and preferably to exactly or substantially forty-five degrees, the operation herein described may be practically carried out to produce uniformly accurate and perfectly-formed letters with sharp and perfect type-faces. This is so, first, because the character engraved upon the force has a base-line of suflicient dimensions to show the required strength, and, secondly, because the angle of forty-five degrees, or thereabout, provides a large area of the. sheet metal that is subjected to bending action or to displacement in the formation of the character. The type may be formed in a sheet of steel of sufiicient thickness to afford all the strength that is required, or a sheet of steel of less thickness than would be desired when used alone may be employed and the back filled in by some metal or compound of metals, many of which are well known, that fuse atalow temperature, but are hard and capable of withstanding the impact to which the type is constantly subjected in a type-writing machine. Of course any such filling that is suitable for the purpose and has the necessary strength and rigidity may be employed. We may thus form in a sheet of metal a single type or character, or a number of such types or characters may be formed simultaneously, by providing a block of suitable strength with the desired number of matrices and using a force-block with the corresponding number of engraved male characters. The type may be formed singly or in a sheet, which latter may be out up, if desired, and may be applied to type-carriers of any of the known kinds, and we hereinafter illustrate and describe several styles of type-carriers provided with type produced as above described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showing a block having formed in it a matrix for the letter U, a force hav ing a corresponding die, and the intervening sheet-steel or other metal in which the letter U is embossed, the matrix and force being shown in the position in which the letter has been completely formed; Fig. 2, a plan view of the matrix-block shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective, showing the under face of the force-block with nine faces or male dies arranged in three rows. Fig. 4 is a view somewhat in perspective, but showing in plan the face of the corresponding matrix-block with the nine matrices arranged in three rows corresponding with the arrange ment of the characters on the force. The dotted rectangle in this figure is intended to indicate the arran gem entof the sheet of metal. Fig. 5 shows this sheet of metal after the characters have been embossed in it as cut out to form a blank of peculiar construction and scored to facilitate its folding or bending and the particular use of which will be hereinafter described. In this figure the type or characters have been omitted as unnecessary to the illustration. Fig. (5 shows the blank of Fig. 5 folded and applied to the type-bar. Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. (i from the type-bar side, showing the type-bar in section. Fig. 8 is a view of a type-bar having one of our improved type attached thereto.

A is the matrix-block, in which a matrix of the letter U is formed or countersunk. B is the force-block, and b the force proper or male die for the letter U, and C a sheet of metal. The main side faces of the matrix, extendingfrom the plane of its face to its deepest parts, which correspond to the face of the letter, are inclined at the angle of forty-five degrees, or thereabout, as plainly seen in Fig. 2. The matrix-block is placed in a suitable press and the force block also accurately mounted in the press, so as to descend upon the sheet O of metal in proper accurate relation to the matrix. The letter may be entirely formed at one stroke of the force-block, 0r successive strokes may be used.

In Figs. 3and at we have shown the matrixblock and corresponding force block both provided in the same manner with nine characters in three rows. These characters are formed in the metal plate in the manner described, and the angle of inclination of the side walls of the matrix is forty-five degrees, or substantially so. A letter so embossed in a sheet of steel may be formed upon a blank or plate having side wings forming flanges extending from the type face part of the blank and which may embrace a type-barX, Fig. 8, and be secured thereto by an attaching pin or rivet so, or it might be otherwise attached, as by solder. In forming the typesheet to be so attached we score it on the lines upon which it is to be bent to form the side flanges. This scoring is described hereinafter more in detail in connection with the special construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

Of course for special machines which are known in the art the plate carrying the letter O or cipherin Fig. 8 may be much longer and two, three, and more type characters formed in it in the same line or column.

In some classes of type-writing machines which are known in the art the bars have more than one type-carrying face, the baror part on which the type-carrying faces are formed being made to partially rotate to bring either typeface opposite the platen. Of course in such cases all the required characters may be formed in a single sheet of steel and that sheet bent to conform to the carrying-faces of the bar and be attached thereto in any suitable manner. Generally stated, our improved type, made in our improved way, may be applied singly to any type-carrier, or where the type-carrier is to have a multiplicity of type thereon such type may all be formed in a single sheet of steel and that sheet conformed to and secured upon the carrier.

In Figs. 5, 0, and 7 we have shown an organization in which a sheet of steel is provided with multiple characters in three separate rows and applied to a type-bar so as to present three different type-carrying faces. In such a machine the bar or type-carrier is to be partially rotated to bring either typebearing face opposite the platen. Such machines have been heretofore proposed and constructed to our knowledge. The patent of Hess and Stoughton, No. 610,400, dated September (3, 1808, shows such a machine. In the particular organization of 'which Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are an illustration the folded plate upon which the characters are formed is of itself the type-carrier, and it is mounted upon the type-bar, so as to be partially rotated thereupon for the purpose described, and as this special construction forms a special feature of our invention we will now describe it in detail. The rectangular blank of steel in which the nine characters have been formed or embossed and which is indicated by the dotted rectangle in Fig. t is then blanked or cut out in the shape shown in Fig. 5, leaving two projections on one of its shorter edges, which are respectively equidistant from the adjacent longer edge. The plate is also scored so that it may be accurately folded without injury to the type-faces upon the lines 1 2 3 4:, the lines so numbered in the drawing representing the scoring. The faces from which the type have been omitted in this figure are three in number and are marked 1'2 3'. The blank is then folded on the lines of the scoring, so as to form in cross-section a hexagonal figure of symmetrical dimensions, with the central face 2 and the side faces 1 3 at an angle thereto and the other faces t 5, which may be shorter. In the formation of this particular blank the sixth face is open. The effect of so folding this blank is to bring the projections z 2 over each other, with the apertures therein exactly in line and in line with the axis of the folded blank. The opposite end of the folded blank is filled in by a plate Z, which closes it and has at its upper edge or that conforming to the sixth face of the folded blank a projecting tooth Z. This plate Z has abearing-aperture in it, which then lies in the same line with the apertures in the projections z z. The type-bar passes through the aperture in the plate Z and through the opposite apertures in the projections z z of the folded blank. The folded blank is therefore capable of rotation about a type-bar. To prevent endwise movement thereon, the apertures in the projections z z are of less diameter than the aperture in the plate Z, and the end of the shaft is correspondingly reduced in diameter. The folded blank is held upon the bar, as indicated in Fig. 6 or otherwise, so as to avoid any clamping that would tend to interfere with its free rotation about the shaft. The tooth Z is designed in the machine of the character to which this part of our invention relates to engage an endWise-movable rack. Normally the type-face 2' will be opposite the platen. If the rack be moved in one direction, the folded blank or type-carrier will be partially rotated to bring the type-face 1 opposite the platen, and if the rack be moved in an opposite direction from normal position the type-face 3 willbe brought opposite the platen. This general mode of operation is well understood by those skilled in the art and familiar with the character of machine to which we have referred.

Where the plate in which a type or character is struck up is scored and bent, it is apparent that the scoring enables the plate to be bent accurately, and the bending gives strength and rigidity. Such struck-up or shell type as has been described While as 'multiple characters struck up therein, substantially as set forth.

2. A sheet-metal type-carrier blank,having at one edge symmetrically-disposed apertured project-ions z, and being scored in parallel lines to inclose type-bearing faces 1, 2, 3, the blank being bent in the lines of such scorin g substantially as described to form a multifaced sheet-metal type-carrier with the multiple characters struck up therein, in combination with a type-bar upon which the carrier is mounted to rotate,substantially as set forth.

3. A sheet of metal having figures or characters struck up therein in different parallel columns, and scored in lines parallel with such columns to guide and facilitate the bending of the blank to bring the type-bearing faces at a suitable angle to each other, the structure thus formed having multiple type-faces and being adapted to,be applied to a type bar or carrier.

4:. The combination of a type-bar and a sheet of a metal with a type or character struck up therein, the plate being scored and bent at an angle on the line of the scoring to adapt it for attachment to the type-bar.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

F. V. JONES.

L. O. MYERS.

' WVitnesses:

E. B. HEss, JOSEPH M. STOUGHTON. 

